My Eulogy For Granny!

6-43am

Today is Granny’s ‘farewell’. I don’t know if I will be able to get through this without getting a bit emotional! It’s good to remember her.

There are many things that I will remember about Mike’s Mom that will always cause me to smile. She loved the Lord and for all the years I knew her, she expressed her love for God by serving people. She loved pretty things – pretty clothes, lovely jewellery. She always had a nail file nearby – keeping her nails beautifully manicured. When at home, she ALWAYS wore an apron. It was her trademark. She sewed beautifully and made most of her clothes, including all her aprons. She gardened enthusiastically always loved plants and flowers AND she baked the very best cupcakes ever. In the latter years of her life, one of her biggest enjoyments was food! We would take her out and show her the menu and she would choose something – quite often a great big burger and chips. She would polish it off – every last mouthful! I would take her out for tea and order a big piece of chocolate cake – ‘ooh lovely’, she would say and get stuck in.  She loved giant mushrooms. I would put a dab of butter on them with grated cheese and grill them. I relished her reaction. I just loved seeing her happy.

As she got older and frailer, it got tough at times. It was sometimes too much for her to bear and she would cry. I would sit on the bed with her and hold her in my arms and she would put her head against my shoulder and sob at the cruelty of life as she saw body beginning to fail. She would blow her nose, pick herself up and life would continue. She was tenacious and tough. The was sensitive, but philosophical. She was sacrificial and understanding.

In the final week of her life, there were a few things that happened. I remember reading the Bible to her. It was like fresh water splashing over her soul. She lapped it up and absorbed every word. As I watched her eyes following the words as they came out of my mouth, I realised those words were feeding her spirit. Outwardly she was perishing, but inwardly she was being renewed.

She always loved gardening and whenever we went to the nursery, she zoned in on plants with purple flowers. She just loved them. So when she was moved to frail care, the lady in the bed next to her had purple flowers. I went and picked them up and had set them before Granny, when I realised they were artificial. Granny looked at them and approved, but then I could see her eyes looking a little harder, as she noticed they were artificial! I laughed and said, “Oh Granny! Even now, I can’t pull the wool over your eyes!”  And then there was the time I sang to her. She was semi-conscious and I thought I would sing “Jesus loves me”. I cannot sing! I can’t hold a tune or sing in key, so generally, no one ever hears me sing. But in the quietness of the ward, alone with Granny, I burst into a enthusiastic unique rendition of “Jesus loves me”. Somehow, I don’t think it was as comforting as I was hoping it would be.  I remembered Granny’s keen musical ear and I imagined her lying there saying, “Oh Jesus take me now!!!”  Let me tell you, the music she enjoys now, she will be appreciating!

Dear Granny

Today we say a final goodbye to you. I know a few years ago I wrote you a letter to thank you for how much you had sown into our lives. You had had a few mini strokes. I feared that we could lose you at any time & I hadn’t said ‘thank you’. So I wrote to you. You held the letter and waved it at me after you had read it. Struggling to speak you indicated, ‘this is not necessary.’ Yes it was! I was desperate for you to know how much value you added to our lives. We loved you and appreciated you. We laughed with you and delighted in your quirky ways. I loved pleasing you. I fiercely wanted to protect you & defend you. And as you got older and frailer, I realised that all the nursing training I had received was because of you – God had seen fit to get me into nursing, so that I could care for you in your old age. It gave me great pleasure to do that. It was a big decision to let you go to the Ladies Christian Home but I knew that you would be safer there. There would be no more roaming around the house in the middle of the night, with no walking stick and in the dark for you.

I have learnt so much from you. I learnt patience. I learnt perseverance. I learnt dignity & I learnt love. I learnt we didn’t need words to express love. We had a unique relationship – you & I. God filled me with a love for you that I couldn’t even understand myself.

Thank you for putting up with me and keeping your sense of humour when I absolutely didn’t do things right. I look forward to having you waiting in the reception room when I arrive in heaven one day. That hug and reunion will be sweet!

And one other thank you: you did such a good job on Mike. Thank you for producing a husband in a million. “Choose a man who treats his Mom well”, they said.

You gave me the best!

I love you MOM!

Notice the blue around her waist? That’s the apron!

Our thanks go to Ronnie and Christina from the Methodist Church whom she absolutely loved. She always held a great memory of Ronnie leading her in a dance at the Methodist Church annual party one year. Also thank you to Ronnie for coming to our home just before Christmas last year to give her communion. Thank you to our Pastor John and Avril Thomas for their ongoing support, care and love.  Thank you Stacey, Adrian and David for entertaining Granny and supporting us in our care of her.  Thank you to Irene from the Methodist Church who visited Granny regularly when she was still at home.  She was so faithful visiting when Gran couldn’t communicate and it was always difficult seeing her deteriorate. Thank you to Rene who came to our house to cut Gran’s hair. Thank you to Miranda, who through this blog saw a ministry opportunity and would pop in to see Granny, give her a Bible verse or a flower. I think Granny saw you as an angel – she didn’t know who you were and would show me the Bible verses when I got home. 🙂  Thank you to Riana, who always took a great interest in Granny. She baked for Granny, made Granny her 67 minute project on Nelson Mandela Day and has always been so supportive. A true friend! I appreciate you!

Granny was more than ready to die. She is rejoicing with Jesus which is MUCH better.

2 Timothy 4:7-8

7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

God bless you!

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂